MP rejects Scots "land grab"
2:32pm Monday 11th February 2008
A NORTH-East MP facing the prospect of Scotland stealing part of his constituency has rejected calls for the border to be re-drawn.
As reported in yesterday's Northern Echo, eight Scottish Nationalist members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) want Berwick-upon-Tweed to be returned to Scottish rule - five hundred years since it was last recaptured for England.
However, Alan Beith, the MP for Berwick, last night said the move would require a massive legal upheaval and is not realistic.
"Feelings are being inflamed by the fact that we have so much less money for public services than communities on the other side of the border," he said.
"Moving the border is not a very realistic option and would take massive negotiation and legal change, so the urgent thing is to give people in North Northumberland services comparable to those in Scotland."
The debate has flared up days before ITV's Tonight show is due to reveal the result of an unofficial referendum on the town's future.
Berwick, which has a population of about 12,000, lies one mile from the Scottish border. It has been part of England since 1482.
The ITV Tonight programme will be screened on Monday, February 25.
Your Say YourNorth-East
Andy Leigh, Tudhoe says...
11:57pm Mon 11 Feb 08
kd, consett says...
9:27am Tue 12 Feb 08
Many countries have gone to war over less.
Can we have a ballot on invading Scotland again?
kd, consett says...
9:31am Tue 12 Feb 08
Many countries have gone to war over less.
Can we have a ballot on invading Scotland again?
John, Wales says...
11:27am Tue 12 Feb 08
there are literally dozens of welsh placenames in these areas & many a welsh-speaker too!
Cenwulf, England says...
11:45am Tue 12 Feb 08
Keith Wilkes, Sussex says...
6:35pm Tue 12 Feb 08
Get a life people.
Berwick became part of England 500 years ago.
W Hales, Berwick says...
10:53am Fri 15 Feb 08
Some interesting comments on the future of a Berwick 'within' a Scotland have come out.
The kind of thing people should be aware of looking ahead.
When the oil runs out. When the 9 Billion a year that England gives to Scotland stops (and it will - when Scotland is independant,) then this:
Scotland has a morbid obesity rate in its young that is second to none in the Western world.
Scotland has child birth defects due to a thin DNA profile in its young because they have not mixed in the last 100 years.
Scotland cannot afford its own promises and the false economy it has due to English money.
Scotland has a dying ageing population which will not sustain the people of Berwick in the future.
Scotland is a social and health timebomb waiting to go off.
For those who want to base their future in Scotland.
Enjoy. :-)
Tom Long, England says...
11:24am Tue 19 Feb 08
The English suffer a higher tax burden in order for this British Government of occupation to spend significantly more on the Scots than the English.
Higher tax bills in England = Higher public spending in Scotland. Lower tax bills in England = Lower public spending in Scotland. This equation shows that Scotland is subsidized by the English any way you look at it.
The oil is a red herring and doesn't affect the above subsidy equation - the oil pales into insignificance compared to the money raised by the City of London.
Roll on Independence for England !
Your sayYourNorth-East
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reiver, says...
7:13pm Mon 11 Feb 08
England is caught in a scotttish pincer movement. England is starved of money by gordon brown to pay for the scottish parliament, msp's and back up staff, but in England gordon has to make savings to pay for it all.Of course moving the border south gives scotland more English oil than they've filched already.